Scan barcode
thatsmrsnyder's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
With my first Abercrombie being a side story set in this same world (The Blade Itself), and that first experience being a bad one, I'm very pleased that I gave him another chance. This was a lot of fun, written well, good character work and enough world building to keep you oriented but not all that much more. That said, upon completion I'm struck with the feeling that this isn't so much a story as it was a necessary prologue, a table-setting for the rest of it. But he's got his hooks in me now so I'll definitely keep it going.
asriram's review against another edition
4.0
I started out very unsure of what to think of this book. I had heard from friends that this book is very good, but from other friends that this book was very grim dark, which is a genre I don’t particularly find appealing. However, in the end, the fact that this book has been on my TBR list for a while, and the recommendation from the friend who loves this series was enough to tip me over into reading it. And I have to say, I’m very glad I did.
This book starts off relatively slow, but builds up speed as the novel goes on. The characters are all compelling, even the ones I personally find loathsome, the pacing is good, and the narrative handles the introduction of new characters quite well. The plot is well done, and the worldbuilding is excellent. The only problem I have with it is that if you asked me what the plot of this book was, I couldn’t tell you. This book feels like it’s setting up a lot of plot for future books in the trilogy, but it doesn’t really feel like much happens plot-wise. Instead, we focus a lot on the individual characters, building them up. However, this works really well in this novel, and I’m excited to read the rest of the trilogy.
This book starts off relatively slow, but builds up speed as the novel goes on. The characters are all compelling, even the ones I personally find loathsome, the pacing is good, and the narrative handles the introduction of new characters quite well. The plot is well done, and the worldbuilding is excellent. The only problem I have with it is that if you asked me what the plot of this book was, I couldn’t tell you. This book feels like it’s setting up a lot of plot for future books in the trilogy, but it doesn’t really feel like much happens plot-wise. Instead, we focus a lot on the individual characters, building them up. However, this works really well in this novel, and I’m excited to read the rest of the trilogy.
ladylilyofold's review against another edition
4.0
It took me about a quarter of this book for me to find my rhythm with this story but once it got going, it was fantastic. It definitely has a plot (not sure why people say it doesn’t) and some amazing characters. Excellent writing too. Very much looking forward to the second book!
emacap_137's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
kayla_lala's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
missyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
eesh25's review against another edition
4.0
This is going to be a tricky one to describe because I didn't read the synopsis beforehand, and I still haven't. I knew two things going in, that the series is grimdark and that Glokta is a great character but also awful. Both those things are true, but not much to go on.
The story is set in a world that's very divided. There's the Union, where a majority of the book is set. It's rife with political games and the nobles who play them. Noble blood seems more important than anything else, and corrupt isn't a strong enough word to describe those in positions of power. The North is equally unsafe but because of violence and the self-proclaimed king. There are other places, but these two are most prominently featured.
The reason I call the world divided is that the different parts don't seem so far away, yet they know little about each other. Though war is on its way to bridge some of the distance.
Now, a major reason why it's hard to explain the plot is that there isn't much of one. This book is an introduction more than anything. We see the state of the world, we understand some of the conflicts, and we get to know, I assume, most of the main characters. But there's no beginning-middle-end here. No real resolutions are found. And yeah, that's a bit of an issue, but the world and characters make up for it. Especially the characters.
Speaking of, let's start with Glokta.
Sand dan Glokta is an Inquisitor. He was a prisoner of war and suffered permanent injuries from two years of torture. Now he tortures other people for a living. But that's just the bare bones of who he is. He's awful but sympathetic, and he's self-aware but doesn't know his own motivations. Then there's the rage and pride and hate and vulnerability. There are so many layers to him. He's horrifying but occasionally likable. Fascinating, for sure.
Another person I found almost as interesting is Logen Ninefingers. Logen is a man with a dark and bloody past who's tired of fighting. He kinda reminds me of Dalinar from The Stormlight Archive, though a lot less dignified. I like Logen, and I want to learn more about him. There's a lot more to him than meets the eye.
Of the other characters, some I liked (Bayaz, Ardee), some I didn't (Jezal), and yet others I'm not sure about (Ferro, West). But they're all well-written, and they're the reason this book works. Yes, I like the world-building and the story, and there are some intriguing developments, but it's the characters who bring everything together and make you want to keep reading. That's why even though there isn't really a plot, I highly recommend checking this book out.
*****************************
The audiobook: Yeah, I'm reviewing it separately. It didn't fit anywhere in the review above.
The audio is really great. Not so good that you need to get it (that's how I feel about The Lies of Locke Lamora), but the narrator does a great job with every character. He's also consistent and captures the feel of the story. Not sure if I'll be sticking with the audio for the rest of the series, but if you're someone who likes audiobooks, this is definitely one you should try.
The story is set in a world that's very divided. There's the Union, where a majority of the book is set. It's rife with political games and the nobles who play them. Noble blood seems more important than anything else, and corrupt isn't a strong enough word to describe those in positions of power. The North is equally unsafe but because of violence and the self-proclaimed king. There are other places, but these two are most prominently featured.
The reason I call the world divided is that the different parts don't seem so far away, yet they know little about each other. Though war is on its way to bridge some of the distance.
Now, a major reason why it's hard to explain the plot is that there isn't much of one. This book is an introduction more than anything. We see the state of the world, we understand some of the conflicts, and we get to know, I assume, most of the main characters. But there's no beginning-middle-end here. No real resolutions are found. And yeah, that's a bit of an issue, but the world and characters make up for it. Especially the characters.
Speaking of, let's start with Glokta.
Sand dan Glokta is an Inquisitor. He was a prisoner of war and suffered permanent injuries from two years of torture. Now he tortures other people for a living. But that's just the bare bones of who he is. He's awful but sympathetic, and he's self-aware but doesn't know his own motivations. Then there's the rage and pride and hate and vulnerability. There are so many layers to him. He's horrifying but occasionally likable. Fascinating, for sure.
Another person I found almost as interesting is Logen Ninefingers. Logen is a man with a dark and bloody past who's tired of fighting. He kinda reminds me of Dalinar from The Stormlight Archive, though a lot less dignified. I like Logen, and I want to learn more about him. There's a lot more to him than meets the eye.
Of the other characters, some I liked (Bayaz, Ardee), some I didn't (Jezal), and yet others I'm not sure about (Ferro, West). But they're all well-written, and they're the reason this book works. Yes, I like the world-building and the story, and there are some intriguing developments, but it's the characters who bring everything together and make you want to keep reading. That's why even though there isn't really a plot, I highly recommend checking this book out.
*****************************
The audiobook: Yeah, I'm reviewing it separately. It didn't fit anywhere in the review above.
The audio is really great. Not so good that you need to get it (that's how I feel about The Lies of Locke Lamora), but the narrator does a great job with every character. He's also consistent and captures the feel of the story. Not sure if I'll be sticking with the audio for the rest of the series, but if you're someone who likes audiobooks, this is definitely one you should try.
zoeoz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Classism and War
Minor: Sexism, Slavery, and Cannibalism
ailurolily's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
4.0
Struggled for the first half to get into it. I considered DNFing it at one point, since I just couldn't get excited about reading it, but there was a point where something just clicked and I couldn't bring myself to put it down.
I wish I had more experience reading fantasy to see how this breaks the typical molds and cliches of the genre (since I heard that this series does a really good job of that), but unfortunately I'm still a fairly new fantasy reader.
I definitely plant to read the next book in the series after a little break. I need some time to finish some shorter books because this beast took me nearly 4 months to finish lol
I wish I had more experience reading fantasy to see how this breaks the typical molds and cliches of the genre (since I heard that this series does a really good job of that), but unfortunately I'm still a fairly new fantasy reader.
I definitely plant to read the next book in the series after a little break. I need some time to finish some shorter books because this beast took me nearly 4 months to finish lol